


but it's hard when you're young

by burownanchor



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 12:44:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10764522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burownanchor/pseuds/burownanchor
Summary: It's the NHL Draft Lottery, it's 2am and he's awake watching his future being shaped.





	but it's hard when you're young

**Author's Note:**

> I'm slightly nervous about the draft lottery tonight, so I started wondering how two of the top-ranked draftees must be feeling. That's pretty much it for reasons to write this. Oh, and procrastination. The title is by The Chainsmokers and any language/grammar mistakes Nico makes in his texts are deliberate. :)

It’s late. Later than Nico’s usual bedtime, even during holidays. But how is he supposed to sleep tonight, really, considering that he’s going to find out where he might end up getting drafted to in less than three months. It’s not written in stone yet or anything, but the lottery still has an impact on his future. His family is awake, too, supporting him as they always do - his parents got used to staying up during his season in Halifax to watch his games. Those started at midnight, though; tonight, they’re up two hours later.

They found a stream online, somehow managed to get it on the TV screen instead of having to cram five people in front of the computer and now they’re sitting on the two sofas in the living room, covered in blankets and leaning against each other, trying not to fall asleep. Nico’s sitting between his siblings - his sister has an arm around his shoulders and squeezes him every now and then, whereas his brother just changed his sitting position for like the third time in 10 minutes.

“Luca, sit as strangely as you want to, just, please, make up your mind before the whole thing is over,” Nina laments. Luca promptly takes away the big blanket they’re sharing, just to throw his legs over both Nico’s and Nina’s laps and cover them with the blanket again.

“Oh my God,” Nico laughs exasperatedly and tries to swat away Luca’s hand, which is dangerously close to his side. He knows that move, okay, his brother isn’t subtle at all. “Don’t get too comfortable in case Nina or I have to get up, you know.”

“You’re cushioning my legs really nicely though, so that might be difficult,” Luca says and wiggles his legs a bit as if to prove his point, which doesn’t really work.

Their father, who, together with their mother, has made himself comfortable on the smaller sofa, leans forward to get the remote control off the small table and turns the volume up a bit more without a word, before decidedly looking at his children and smirking.

“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Luca stage whispers, but settles down anyway and turns his attention towards the TV.

Nico tries to do the same, but the men on the screen are mostly explaining how the lottery works and he has done his fair share of research about the whole process already, so he isn’t really listening, just kind of staring at the TV, not focusing on anything. He's jolted back to reality when he feels his phone vibrate in the pocket of his pyjama trousers.

He tries to get it out without moving too much or involuntarily elbowing Nina and arches his eyebrows when he sees who texted him.

> _are u watching?_

Nolan.

Nico answers immediately.

> yes. you too?

Stupid question, of course he is. Why wouldn’t he be.

> _yeah. kind of don’t wanna, but don’t wanna miss it either. dunno, it’s strange. how r u feeling?_

Nico starts answering when another message from Nolan appears.

> _wait wtf where r u atm? home? how late is it 4u?!? ___

He sees Nina glancing towards him for a second, but she doesn’t say anything, just encouragingly smiles at him. He smiles back and presses himself a bit closer to her, appreciating her wordless support and understanding.

> yeah, it’s 2am here in switzerland. i stay up with my family.  
>  i’m nervous, excited, i don’t really know... what about you? with who do you watch?

Nico tries to concentrate on the show again, especially since they’re getting closer to the actual lottery. At least he thinks they are, the presenters seem to like talking and he swears there have been more commercial breaks in the last 30 minutes than there were uncalled penalties drawn by him during the Q playoffs.

However, what he actually does is wondering about his supposed rival and the draft lottery. Nolan probably has more preferences than Nico does, at least secretly, since he’s Canadian and grew up watching the NHL. Plus there’s Nolan’s father who used to play in the league, and his uncle who’s working for a team… Yeah, no. Meanwhile, Nico just... really likes Pavel Datsyuk, who isn’t even with the Red Wings anymore, and that’s about it, honestly.

Nolan’s next text luckily stops Nico from starting to worry about things he promised himself he wouldn’t worry about.

> _i’m with family and some friends. thankfully no cameras, tho, cause i’m more nervous than i wanted to be tbh._

Oh yes, Nico understands that. Until now, he’s been quite relaxed and he still kind of is because as long as he gets to play in the NHL, he'll be happy. But somehow, nervousness still managed to settle into the pit of stomach and it seems to like it there.

> yeah, same... hope your people help.

It looks like the presenters are slowly but surely getting to the main highlight of the show now, though. Nico’s about to put his phone away and maybe slightly grab onto Luca’s blanketed legs to have something to hold on to when he gets another message from Nolan.

> _i guess it’s time... good luck, hisch._

Nico smiles at that and answers quickly before he puts away his phone for good, places his hands on his brother’s legs and leans his head against Nina’s shoulder, ready to watch some people, odds and balls shape his future.

> you too, pats. we’ll be fine.


End file.
